Used to refer to a time rather than an aesthetic, Contemporary art generally describes pieces created after 1970 or being made by living artists anywhere in the world. This immediacy means it encompasses art responding to the present moment through diverse subjects, media and themes. Contemporary painting, sculpture, photography, performance, digital art, video and more frequently includes work that is attempting to reshape current ideas about what art can be, from Felix Gonzalez-Torres’s use of candy to memorialize a lover he lost to AIDS-related complications to Jenny Holzer’s ongoing “Truisms,” a Conceptual series that sees provocative messages printed on billboards, T-shirts, benches and other public places that exist outside of formal exhibitions and the conventional “white cube” of galleries.
Contemporary art has been pushing the boundaries of creative expression for years. Its disruption of the traditional concepts of art are often aiming to engage viewers in complex questions about identity, society and culture. In the latter part of the 20th century, contemporary movements included Land art, in which artists like Robert Smithson and Michael Heizer create large-scale, site-specific sculptures, installations and other works in soil and bodies of water; Sound art, with artists such as Christian Marclay and Susan Philipsz centering art on sonic experiences; and New Media art, in which mass media and digital culture inform the work of artists such as Nam June Paik and Rafaël Rozendaal.
The first decades of the 21st century have seen the growth of Contemporary African art, the revival of figurative painting, the emergence of street art and the rise of NFTs, unique digital artworks that are powered by blockchain technology.
Major Contemporary artists practicing now include Ai Weiwei, Cecily Brown, David Hockney, Yayoi Kusama, Jeff Koons, Takashi Murakami and Kara Walker.
Find a collection of Contemporary prints, photography, paintings, sculptures and other art on 1stDibs.
Airplane in landscape - landscape painting
Located in New York, NY
This beautiful painting by Jeroen Allart is part of his minimalist landscape and animal painting he did in his home country the Netherlands. 'A farm stands before you on the horizon....
Canvas, Oil
Café del Mar Painting, Animal and Landscape Themes, 90x90 cm, New
Located in Zofingen, AG
It doesn’t matter what you do for a living. Or where you wake up in the morning. Titles fade. Addresses change. What stays is who sits across from you. With the right people, even th...
Canvas, Acrylic
Suburb Spruce, Contemporary Oil Landscape Painting
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This painting was created from a photograph taken during a snowy weekend at the artist’s mother-in-law’s home in New York. A single evergreen stands in a quiet, snow-covered yard, se...
Oil, Wood Panel
He'll call. Probably
Located in Zofingen, AG
It’s not suspense — it’s comfort. A soft pause that doesn’t ask to be filled. No checking the phone every five minutes, no negotiations with silence. If he calls — it will find you a...
Canvas, Acrylic
Garden - Contemporary Jade Green Aqua Blue Poured Painting, 2025
Located in Kent, CT
Garden by Susan English, a contemporary poured painting, is a wonderful play of color, light, and composition. Vertical stripes and blocks of color in hues of soft jade, pale mint gr...
Acrylic Polymer, Panel
$2,850
Morning Blooming - Butter Yellow Floral Landscape Mixed Media Art on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles artist Amber Goldhammer paints dramatic abstract compositions in acrylic on canvas featuring energetic brushstrokes. Goldhammer uses her contemporary paintings to express...
Canvas, Latex, Ink, Mixed Media, Spray Paint, Acrylic
"Bull in Blue", Animal Oil Painting on Canvas. Signed, Large Format
Located in Bogotá, Bogotá
“Blue Bull” is an original oil painting on canvas by Colombian artist Luis Xiua, whose work integrates figurative and abstract elements inspired by nature, symbolism, and Constructiv...
Cotton Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
$3,500Sale Price|30% Off
Philosopher Original Oil Painting on Canvas, Surreal, 30x38in
Located in Forest Hills, NY
"Philosopher" . Original, unique painting. oil on canvas, 30x38in. Shipped rolled in a tube from Europe using DHL or FedEx, no custom or import fees in the US. Free shipping with FRE...
Canvas, Oil
Heaven on Earth - Ethereal green abstract landscape painting
Located in Silverthorne, CO
There is this idea of heaven as a place so mysterious to me. A place gated and guarded, a place in some other realm. A place of angels. But what if heaven in here? This earth beneat...
Oil
$2,500
Peaceful Synergy - 21st Century, Contemporary, Portrait, Africa Women, Blue
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Artist Sam...
Canvas, Acrylic, Charcoal
Still Among the Living Things - 21st Century Contemporary Woman Portrait, Modern
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
“Still Among the Living Thing” is a meditation on presence, on what it means to exist gently yet fully within one’s space. The woman stands calm, surrounded by the quiet abundance of...
Canvas, Acrylic
Cherry Delight
Located in Zofingen, AG
“Cherry Delight” is a work about an experience that does not seek to закрепить itself in the future. About intimacy accepted as an event rather than a promise. Like the taste of cher...
Canvas, Oil
$295
Flop Hop Homie - Abstract Pastel Tone Cute Bunny Mixed Media Painting on Paper
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Columbus, Georgia (USA) based artist Kellie Newsome specializes in dynamic and abstracted still-life artworks. Her expressive style emphasizes line structure, creating vibrant painti...
Paper, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Color Pencil
$5,500
"Big Pasture" - Original Contemporary Realist Horse Pasture, Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Richard Rodriguez's (US based) "First Light" is an original oil painting that depicts a gathering of horses bathed in early morning light. My Background Brushes, pallet knives, sc...
Oil, Canvas
Waiting To Blossom -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Mixed Media, Fabrics
By Bakare Abubakri-sideeq Babatunde
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube. This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Artist Bakare Babatund...
Fabric, Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
Roots and Rhythm - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Mixed Media, Fabrics
By Bakare Abubakri-sideeq Babatunde
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube. This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Artist Bakare Babatund...
Fabric, Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
$675
Love Bomb - Original Minimalist Black and White Mixed Media Painting on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles artist Amber Goldhammer paints dramatic abstract compositions in acrylic on canvas featuring energetic brushstrokes. Goldhammer uses her contemporary paintings to express...
Canvas, Latex, Ink, Mixed Media, Spray Paint, Acrylic
Floating Is Also a Plan
Located in Zofingen, AG
This painting is about the quiet relief of letting go. A cow rests on a pink sofa drifting gently on water, no urgency, no direction to prove. She isn’t going anywhere special — and ...
Canvas, Acrylic
Through The Lens of Calm - 21st Century Contemporary Figurative, Couple, Fashion
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube. This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Artist Adewuyi Theophi...
Canvas, Oil
Bull III by Christophe Dupety - Animal painting, abstract, violet, vivid colours
Located in Paris, FR
Bull III is a unique acrylic on paper painting by contemporary artist Christophe Dupety, dimensions are 65 × 50 cm (25.6 × 19.7 in). The artwork is signed, sold unframed and comes wi...
Paper, Acrylic
$1,610
Blue Landscape – Original Abstract Painting on Paper by Marilina Marchica
Located in Agrigento, AG
Blue Landscape is an original abstract painting by Italian artist Marilina Marchica, created using pure pigment on high-quality paper. This unique piece belongs to her ongoing resear...
Pigment, Paper
Beach Goddess
Located in Zofingen, AG
Beach Goddess is a quiet reminder that divinity has nothing to do with size, shape, or perfection. A cow resting inside an open shell replaces the classical ideal with something more...
Canvas, Acrylic
$1,442Sale Price|20% Off
Gentleman in Interior (After Fernando Botero) oil on canvas painting
Located in Sitges, Barcelona
Title: Gentleman in Interior (After Fernando Botero) Artist: Sanz (Spanish painter, active late 20th – early 21st century) Year: circa 2000 Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions (unfr...
Oil
Quiet Moments of Life
Located in Zofingen, AG
This large-scale painting captures the quiet flow of everyday life — moments of movement, pause, and shared presence unfolding within a green, open landscape. Figures appear and disa...
Canvas, Acrylic
$1,800
Scaffold Two - Geometric Abstract Light Blue Navy Ivory Beige Lines Shapes, 2021
Located in Kent, CT
Geometric shapes in shades of blue from cobalt to pale periwinkle, and delicate angular lines in black and dark gray are dynamic against a soft background fading from dark navy at th...
Paper, Oil, Acrylic, Panel
Ignite2
Located in Zofingen, AG
In my work, I explore how inherited emotional distance turns into a lifelong search for intimacy. I am interested in moments in which connection does not require justification, where...
Canvas, Oil
$425
Don't Look Back - Abstract Vintage Inspired Figurative Horse Painting on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Jesse’s imagery often merges playful and gritty elements, blending floral patterns, vintage-inspired designs, and bold outlines with a touch of whimsy. His artwork exudes a sense of ...
Canvas, Acrylic
Shared Blooming
Located in Zofingen, AG
“Shared Blooming” is a space of transition. A moment when familiar scales shift and horizons open differently. The figure within the canvas does not oppose the environment; it is emb...
Canvas, Oil
Line 0623-01 by Ahn Hyun-Ju - Abstract painting, minimalism, bright colours
By Ahn Hyun-Ju
Located in Paris, FR
Line 0623-01 is an abstract painting by contemporary Korean artist Ahn Hyun-Ju. Polyester, pigments and acrylic on aluminium, 52 cm x 32 cm x 2.7 cm. Signed, sold unframed. This pai...
Mixed Media
Anew
Located in Burlingame, CA
Elizabeth Geisler is best known for her dazzling contemporary water reflection paintings that bridge realism with abstraction. Up close, the paintings appear ambiguous and loose, yet...
Acrylic, Panel
Untitled. Ref. 94019
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Capelán's work stands out for its rigorous handling of diverse artistic techniques and procedures, ranging from drawing to installation, including painting, printmaking, photography,...
Canvas, Mixed Media
$750Sale Price|25% Off
N203 , 50x50cm, oil on canvas
Located in Yerevan, AM
N203, 50x50cm
Canvas, Oil
"Wolf in Green", Animal Oil Painting on Canvas. Signed
Located in Bogotá, Bogotá
“Green Wolf” is an original oil painting on canvas by Colombian artist Luis Xiua, whose work integrates figurative and abstract elements inspired by nature, symbolism, and Constructi...
Cotton Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
Argnam by Ramon Enrich - Architecture painting, stripes, earth tones
By Ramon Enrich
Located in Paris, FR
Argnam is a painting by Spanish contemporary artist Ramon Enrich. This artwork features a stark, geometric setting with a striped background of red and ochre tones, and a solitary g...
Canvas, Acrylic
$1,345Sale Price|20% Off
Fluorescent Framed Figurative Portrait With Botanical Emoji and Green Face
Located in FISTERRA, ES
Fluorescent framed figurative portrait exploring digital identity through a hybrid language of botanical emoji faces, organic matter, and exaggerated human features. This large-scale...
Acrylic, Board, Wood
$875
"Reflections Through Zion Canyon" Abstracted Landscape, Oil Painting on Panel
Located in Denver, CO
"You know you are in a special place when it radiates the colors of luck and fortune." - Michelle Condrat About the artist: Michelle Condrat was born and raised in Salt Lake City,...
Oil
Backstreet Girls
Located in Zofingen, AG
Backstreet Girls is a quiet gathering of very different bodies sharing the same ease. A black dog, a white goat, a red cow, and small birds rest on their own sofas, each in a distinc...
Canvas, Acrylic
$3,880Sale Price|20% Off
The Love - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Africa Women, Couple
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity (Issued by the Gal...
Canvas, Charcoal, Mixed Media, Acrylic
$8,200
Old Hemlock Stand and New Growth - Brown Green Virginia Forest Landscape Trees
Located in Kent, CT
The densely treed forest and mountain ledges of Hennen's Virginia home are the subject of this rich, highly detailed landscape painting in oil on panel. An enormous boulder presiding...
Oil, Panel
$610
Poppy Parade - Framed Abstract Expressive Botanical Floral Still Life Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Dynamic and abstracted still-life artworks are the specialty of Georgia-based artist Kellie Newsome. Her work is characterized by a loose and expressive style emphasizing line struct...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Color Pencil
Stallion - Abstract Cool Tone Horse Portrait Mixed Media Painting on Paper
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Columbus, Georgia (USA) based artist Kellie Newsome specializes in dynamic and abstracted still-life artworks. Her expressive style emphasizes line structure, creating vibrant painti...
Paper, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Color Pencil
Clustered Objects. Still life Painting
Located in Miami Beach, FL
When an artist works with more conventional still life subjects, they focus primarily on the formal properties of the painting, such as color relationships, form, proportions, and ot...
Canvas, Oil
HG66 - Playful Chaos Hidden Garden, 2023
By Damien Hirst
Located in Manchester, GB
Damien Hirst, HG66 - Playful Chaos Hidden Gardens, 2023 Oil on canvas presented in a white, hand-painted wooden frame 62.3 x 45 cm (24.5 x 17.7 in) Original artwork Hand-Signed by D...
Canvas, Oil
$295
Long Hair, Short Legs - Abstract Expressive Dog Portrait Mixed Media Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Columbus, Georgia (USA) based artist Kellie Newsome specializes in dynamic and abstracted still-life artworks. Her expressive style emphasizes line structure, creating vibrant painti...
Paper, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Color Pencil
$3,600Sale Price|20% Off
Fly Me To The Moon -21st Century Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Africa Women
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity (Issued by the Gal...
Canvas, Charcoal, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Both Barrels, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
The painting hits immediately with confrontation. That mechanical immediacy produces an adrenaline response: tension, alarm, the urge to duck or to meet the fig...
Oil
$1,718
Dreamer - 21st Century Figure Painting of a nude Girl Sleeping on a Couch
Located in Nuenen, Noord Brabant
Carolien van Olphen Dreamer Oil on wood panel 23 x 35 cm (Framed 31 x 41 cm, frame is included) Dutch artist Carolien van Olphen has left a great impression in many places with her...
Wood Panel, Oil
$1,800Sale Price|20% Off
Sincerity of Purpose -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Neo-Expressionism
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique; this is not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Ar...
Canvas, Acrylic
$4,206
Ce qui demeure — Abstract Library, Minimalism, Oil Painting, Contemporary, 2026
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Oil on canvas – 54 x 65 cm (21.3 x 25.6 in) Framed dimensions: 61 x 72 cm (24 x 28.3 in) Framed in natural wood or black floater frame (your choice) Signed – Certificate of authentic...
Oil
Terra Incognita
Located in Miami Beach, FL
A Landmark Work of Conceptual Art: Terra Incognita (1995) by Miguel Ángel Ríos. a visually striking and intellectually potent work from the highly acclaimed MAPAS series by the Argen...
Acrylic, Canvas, Mixed Media
$1,480Sale Price|20% Off
Such is Life - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Africa, Men
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Life's journey twists and turns, Ups and downs, joys and burns. Moments sweet, moments sour, Such is life, in every hour. Dreams bloom, dreams fade away, Hopes rise, hopes fade to g...
Canvas, Oil
"A Cut Flower Can't Last II" Figure with Flowers and House in Flames
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This piece titled "A Cut Flower Can't Last II" is an original piece by Graham Franciose, and is made from watercolor on panel mounted Rives BFK cotton rag, wax sealed, custom Douglas...
Watercolor, Wax, Wood Panel, Paper
New Stories / 2 — A Quiet Landscape of Change and Continuity
Located in Zofingen, AG
This painting explores a quiet, expansive landscape where space feels open and time slows down. Soft transitions of sky and land create a sense of balance, while subtle contrasts sug...
Acrylic
Winter Stream - Contemporary Atmospheric Landscape Oil Pastel Painting
By Janusz Kokot
Located in Salzburg, AT
Janusz Kokot was born in Kalisz in 1960. He studied at the Pedagogical University in Częstochowa at the Art Institute. He practices painting and drawing. In the years 1988 - 2020 he ...
Paper, Oil Pastel, Pencil
$5,000
"Unbreakable" - Original Contemporary Realist Horse Portrait, Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Richard grew up in the town of Golden, CO. His parents immigrated from Cuba in 1959, making their way from Miami to Colorado. His interest in art began while painting with his mother...
Oil, Canvas
Hotel room. From The Light Series
Located in Miami Beach, FL
While "Composition for Film" evokes notable associations with masters of painting and poetry known precisely for their ability to evoke slow time, intimacy, poetry, and introversion ...
Canvas, Oil
Untitled 1 - Handwoven Landscape Painting, Wowen and Painted Artwork
Located in Salzburg, AT
Untitled, from the Horizon series, handwoven landscape, linen yarn, organic cotton, wool, 60 x 80 cm, 2024. Canvas is entirely constructed on a weaving loom. Each of the steps of t...
Textile, Linen, Yarn
Summer Birches - Atmospheric Nature Painting, Framed
Located in Salzburg, AT
This painting is signed on the back, the frames are made of oak A few words of the artist about his art: When i painting landscapes, I usually choose simple geometric arrangements,...
Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
$1,000
"My Horizon - Fiji" Color Field Contemporary Painting on Paper Rothko Inspired
By Cindy Shaoul
Located in New York, NY
An acrylic and oil on heavy weight paper piece with bright use of color and texture. We are focused on the simplicity of beauty in the moment as Shaoul creates a translucent but very...
Oil, Acrylic, Archival Paper
Quiet Companion No. 1
Located in Zofingen, AG
Series: Quiet Companions A quiet, grounded image of a dog composed of soft color segments in a restrained neutral palette. The warm ivory background and muted antique gold create a s...
Canvas, Acrylic
The artist and activist is the subject of a new show at Washington, D.C.'s National Gallery of Art.
Manhattan's Acquavella Galleries is showing a group of the artist's monumental works that have never been seen together.
Koloman Moser smashed the conservative conventions of art and design in fin-de-siècle Vienna. On the 100th anniversary of his death, the Austrian designer is being celebrated for his radically modern creations.